MD-JE Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts

The Exam at a Glance

This is the one-page version of the Maryland Journeyman Electrician License Exam (MD-JE), the written test administered by PSI Services LLC for the Maryland State Board of Electricians under the Maryland Department of Labor. The issuer's own documents use the term "Journeyperson Electrician," so you will see both spellings in official material. Everything below is anchored to the Master and Journeyperson Electrician Qualification Information Bulletin (updated 9/1/2024, with an online-only application notice effective March 31, 2025) and to the Board's own pages.

Note that no fixed total item count or single appointment timer is published, because of the unscored experimental questions and the separate tutorial. Plan for 70 scored questions plus a handful you cannot identify, and treat every item as if it counts. For a deeper look at the scoring line, see MD-JE Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

The Seven Headings and Their Question Counts

The journeyperson outline on page 4 of the bulletin has exactly seven headings. The published allocations are question counts that add up to 70, not percentage weights. Do not confuse this outline with the master's, which has a separate Calculations domain and a different structure. None of that applies here.

The heading "Special Communications" is preserved exactly as the source prints it, even though its range includes special-conditions material such as Articles 700 to 708. Two domains, Electrical Theory and Wiring and Protection, account for 40 of the 70 questions. That is the strongest argument for front-loading your study there. For narrative detail on each heading, read MD-JE Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.

The Reference Book: 2020 NEC and Tab Rules

The only admitted reference in the retrieved bulletin is NFPA 70, the 2020 National Electrical Code. It is not supplied at the test center. You carry it in.

• Allowed: indexing, highlighting and underlining in your code book.
• Prohibited: handwritten notes, study guides and additional papers.
• Tabs: the bulletin names Avery Swift Tabs Self-Adhesive Permanent Plastic Tabs and Redi-Tag Self-Stick Permanent Adhesive Index Tabs. Removable flags and paper-insert tabs are prohibited, and tabs that can be removed without ripping the page must be removed.

A common trap: commercial 2026-dated NEC study books and combo guides exist, and a generic "current NEC" FAQ may describe newer code cycles. Neither establishes that the Maryland exam has changed editions. July 28, 2026 Board minutes describe 2026 NEC examination questions as still being developed, and proposals or anticipated dates are not an effective replacement date. A rescheduled September meeting agenda dated October 2, 2026 was cited in research but could not be retrieved, and it would be a future agenda relative to the September 30, 2026 research check, so it proves nothing about adoption. Study from the 2020 edition and re-verify the PSI bulletin shortly before you book.

NEC Article Ranges to Memorize by Domain

The outline maps each domain to specific NEC ranges. Knowing which article range belongs to which domain lets you navigate your tabbed book quickly under time pressure.

Two details matter. First, the letter labels continue from earlier lettering in the source, so Domain 4 starts at "e" rather than "a." Second, the Domain 7 ranges are 700 to 708 and 720 to 830, with a gap between them that the source does not fill. Do not assume Articles 710 to 719 are tested just because they sit numerically between the two ranges.

Domain 1 Theory and Math Quick Hits

Electrical Theory is the single largest heading at 20 questions, and it is the one domain where the code book helps least. The source lists eleven subtopics, labeled l through v:

• Definitions
• Theory including Ohm's law
• Techniques
• Troubleshooting
• Equipment and devices
• Instruments
• Materials
• Math
• Conversions
• Diagrams
• Symbols

Public issuer preparation guidance also points to Ohm's law, electrical theory and mathematics, practical field-work knowledge and applicable local rulings. That guidance describes what the written questions draw on; it does not create a practical exam or extra weighted domains.

Because Troubleshooting, Instruments and Diagrams are named separately, expect scenario-style items such as reading a schematic, picking the right meter for a measurement, or reasoning about why a circuit misbehaves. For a sense of how demanding this mix is, see How Hard Is the MD-JE Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

Fees, Booking and Test-Day Logistics

The $65 fee covers only the test. It is not the license fee, and the pricing picture only makes sense when you separate the two. The Board's original-license fee is $18.50 (effective July 1, 2025), covered below. For the full cost picture, see MD-JE Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for scheduling logistics see MD-JE Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.

Eligibility Facts and Open Conflicts

Ordinary eligibility requires four years of principally providing electrical services under a Maryland-licensed master electrician (or a similarly qualified government employee), with experience evidence and Board approval. COMAR 09.09.03.02 adds that experience-route applicants on or after July 1, 2024 must have held a current Board or local apprentice license for four years during the qualifying work period.

Several points are genuinely unsettled, and a responsible cheat sheet says so rather than guessing:

• Education credit: The PSI journeyperson section offers up to three years of education credit, while the current Board requirements place that allowance under master eligibility, and the applicable apprentice-license regulation states four years. Do not assume an automatic reduction; get a Board determination.
• Apprenticeship waiver: The Board separately describes an approved-apprenticeship experience waiver involving 576 classroom hours, 8,000 work hours and a certificate issued within two years. It is an experience pathway, not an automatic exam exemption.
• Reciprocity: The older bulletin says there are no out-of-state journeyperson waiver provisions, while the current Board application page lists Virginia, Delaware and DC reciprocity with conditions. Reciprocity, local examination and apprenticeship waivers are alternative routes and do not replace this examination.

For the full qualification walkthrough, read MD-JE Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Pass-Rate Reports and Retake Timing

Published pass-rate evidence comes from Board meeting minutes, and it is messy. Treat each figure as a single reported sample, not a trend.

Do not average these, do not relabel the later month, and do not treat any of them as your first-attempt probability. Two minutes both labeled "May" with different results is a real source conflict. The honest takeaway is that reported monthly outcomes have varied widely and the exam should not be treated as a formality. More discussion is in MD-JE Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.

After You Pass: Licensing and Renewal

Passing the test does not itself issue the license. You apply separately to the Board and provide supporting documents within 30 days of the license application, not 30 days from the exam date.

Do not carry over the master's ten-hour total or master-specific classroom minimum; those do not apply to journeyperson renewal. If you are weighing whether the whole path pays off, a salary figure from a single employer's listing is not a statewide benchmark, and no license-related earnings premium is established here. See MD-JE Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the MD-JE Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 for balanced context.

A Short Domain-Ordered Review Plan

Because the question counts are uneven, order your review by where the points are. This is one scheduling suggestion, not a guarantee of any result.

Use independently written questions only to find gaps; they are supplementary knowledge practice, not actual issuer questions and not an assessment of practical field competence. You can drill them on the main MD-JE practice test site, and the broader plan is laid out in the MD-JE Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Independent preparation does not guarantee Board approval or establish field competence. For a plain-language overview of the credential itself, start with What Is MD-JE? and keep this sheet handy as a fast reference.